Mission SPARTOI
by Laenavesse
Summary: An AU fic where our favorite characters are secret agents and the concept of souls and witches is nonexistent. There's still the evil KiSHIN organization to deal with, at least. Lots of action, a good dose of humor, and maybe some romance. Maybe.
1. Mission: Prologue

_**MISSION: PROLOGUE**_

**Disclaimer:**_ I own nothing. Not even some of the ideas that went into this thing. Even the premise isn't my idea. It all spawned from an LJRP meme…_

**Further Notes:** _Before reading, please keep in mind that this is an AU (alternate universe) fic. While most of the character backgrounds and some concepts remain very similar to the original SE-verse, the setting has changed significantly. There are no souls or witches—everything is mostly "real world" based, with some fun fudging around, of course._

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><p><em>In a world where crime organizations run rampant, there is only one agency that works to infiltrate and eradicate them all: Shibusen.<em>

Footsteps pounded against the tiled floor, the runner not caring that anyone nearby could hear the echoing thuds all the way down the hallway.

"Soul, I got the documents. How much farther?"

_Led by the one known as the _Grim Reaper_, the organization sends out its agents on dangerous missions._

"Fifteen feet, then down that air duct on the right. That should get you out and into the next sector, Maka_._"

"Got it!"

The girl kicked the cover open and jumped down feet first, bullets just missing the tips of her disappearing pigtails by fractions of an inch.

_Whether it is to gather intelligence on their target or to take them out completely, the agents of Shibusen are known to complete their missions no matter what it took._

Bodies slammed to the ground, some hitting the walls before crumpling to the floor.

"Black*Star, I don't think—"

…_Even if it meant breaking protocol—_

"Hahaha! Did you see that, Tsubaki! Thought they could get catch _me_, the greatest elite secret assassin of Shi—"

"_Black*Star!_"

—_taking risks—_

"Patti—what are you—_this isn't neces—_"

Large chunks of debris flew outward as a new exit was formed through the wall. Giggles followed soon after.

—_and improvising._

"Sorry, Kid! But you said we had to get out."

"…I don't think that's what he meant."

_But of all the agents in Shibusen, there is one group comprised of the not only some of the youngest members, but also the smartest, strongest, and advanced members of the Shibusen force._

Alarms blared as the sound of running footsteps approached.

"Dammit—Liz! Patti!"

"On it."

"Just leave it to us!"

_An elite group of secret agents._

"Damn, what the hell is taking them so long?"

The boy ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against his chair as he stared at the flickering screens before him. A spin around the chair later, the sound of small explosions reached his ears. Red lights flashed around him before he could tap the keys to pull up the camera feed.

"…Heh. Looks like it's show time."

_SPARTOI._

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><p><strong>Authorward<strong>: This is a really short intro/"prologue" thing, but that's why there's another chapter uploaded with it! I'll have a longer "Authorward" (basically the "Author Notes" section, but combined with "afterward") in the official first chapter, so see you there. Also, my original format got killed because of 's formatting thing. Bah.


	2. File: 001

_**FILE: 001**_

_**Disclaimer: **__Still don't own anything._

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><p><strong>In one of Shibusen's corridors<strong>

"So one of them cronies tried to put me in a headlock, but psh, like _that_ was a problem," a voice belted out as a group of five young agents in uniform made their way down one of Shibusen's many hallways.

There were three girls and two boys. No one had to look at their distinctive white jackets or the trademark skull mask sigil on their sleeves—which, by the way, were different from the standard black and gray uniforms that everyone else wore—to know what squad they were in. Why need a uniform when their faces were well known throughout the agency? Plus, one of them had the odd three white stripes on the left side of his hair. If an agent did not know who _that_ was, they really did live under a rock.

However, if it were not for those uniforms, from the way one of them was retelling the story, no one would have guessed that these five teenagers were part of an elite squad for Shibusen. And of the five, only one of them seemed enthused by the story: the storyteller himself. He had turned around and mimicked the arm movements as he continued to walk backwards.

"Just gave them a _wham!_ and a _pow!_ and it was lights out for that idiot!"

"Yeah…we heard you the first time, Black*Star. Second, third, and fourth, too."

The tall, dirty blond could only sigh and roll her eyes as Black*Star continued to reanimate their most recent mission. She was not surprised that this fifth iteration had an extra "pow" and "wham." The next one would probably have him throwing the guy through a wall.

"Seriously, we just got back," the girl continued in a half whine as she turned to the other boy walking next to her, the one with the weird stripes. "Why are we being sent out on another mission, Kid?"

"It has already been three days, Liz," he answered, eyes occasionally glancing at the paintings hanging along the walls. There were times where he would break away from the group to straighten one, sometimes with one of those balancing leveling rules that he carried around with him. "There has been a recent string of activity from the various crime organizations, and this particular mission will relate to our previous one. Maka and Soul will meet us in Father's office for the debriefing."

"Come on, sis, it'll be fun!" the younger Thompson sister chimed in, her wide grin not reflecting the frown on the elder sister's face.

"…Patti, you're the only one who would think this is fun," Liz only muttered under her breath.

"Do you think we'll be working together again?" the fifth member of the group, Tsubaki, asked, relieved that Black*Star had finally stopped talking and was walking face forward.

"If we are," Kid started, his eyes glaring hard at Black*Star's back directly in front of him, "then we _will_ stick to the plan this time."

Black*Star just waved a hand, not bothering to look back. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. We got it done, right? So who cares about planning—we should just bust right in and take down everyone! That's what we're supposed to do."

"You are part of the _assassin _squad. You are _supposed_ to use stealth and be _silent_!" Kid said, his voice rising a few levels.

While Patti only laughed at the face Kid was making at Black*Star—who was clearly ignoring him and going on about how he was so great that he would knock out anyone before they could hear him coming _anyway_—Liz just exchanged glances with Tsubaki and the two girls sighed. They only had to put up with this and make it to the Grim Reaper's office.

They could last another five or so minutes, right?

"If you had followed the plan that I had made _perfectly_, the guards wouldn't have been alerted to begin with!"

"If we had followed that stupid plan, _I_ would have been stuck watching old men fart all night in their chairs!"

"Your role was to keep an _eye _on the guards, not attack them. That whole mission was supposed to be a _reconnaissance _mission! Do you even know what that word means!"

"Uh, I forget. I didn't pay much attention in history class."

"That is the Renaissance period."

"…Oh yeah!"

* * *

><p><strong>The Grim Reaper's Office<strong>

"Sir, you wanted to see us?"

Two young agents stood in front of the large, black desk where a strangely dressed figure stood. Donned in strange black robes and an even stranger skull shaped mask and oversized white gloves (some mistook them for a pair of those giant foam fingers used for sports events), it was hard to believe that this man was the one who created Shibusen—the Grim Reaper.

"Aaaah, Maka! Soul! Hope you're not too tired from your last mission."

Despite being in front of their superior, Soul was slouching more than the pig-tailed girl next to him, Maka. But the girl had long given up trying to make the other stand more properly when in the Grim Reaper's presence, so she ignored his bored look and stifled yawn as she smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all. What do you need?"

"_Well_," the Grim Reaper started to say before he was suddenly interrupted with a—

"_Maka!_"

"Told you he would be here," Soul muttered to a quickly souring Maka.

"Shut up," she shot back before stepping back just in time to avoid the swan dive made from a blur of red and black.

However, she could not escape the sudden rebound as the man whirled around and latched onto her legs.

"Ack—let go!"

"Oh, Maka! I was so worried!" the man continued to blubber, not caring that Soul and his superior were just staring at him while the girl he hung onto was trying to free herself from his grasp.

"I'm _fine_, papa, now—let—go—of—me—_wah!_"

Soul and the Grim Reaper both cringed when the girl lost her balance and fell backwards onto the floor. After a second more of Maka yelling and her father sobbing, the Grim Reaper leaned over his desk and addressed the older man.

"Spirit, we need to speak with these two about their next mission. _So_, could you let go of your daughter for a few minutes?"

"Of course, of course," he said in between wiping his tears. "It's just been so long since I've seen—"

"Dude, you just saw her last night," Soul interrupted, feeling almost as exasperated as Maka. Oh, sure, he had seen this almost a million times—literally—but he wanted to get this meeting over and done with. He had some zombies waiting to be killed. Again.

"_Anyway_," the Grim Reaper tried to start again, "this mission will—"

At that moment, the doors burst open.

"_All right!_ The _great_ Black*Star is here to take on th—"

"_Don't kick down the doors!_"

The Grim Reaper waved one of his ridiculously oversized gloved hands. "Actually, it's all right—"

"Maka, how about we go out for dinner after this?"

"I refuse."

"Kid, the doors are fine so—"

"Hahaha, Kid's making that face again!"

"Now, now, we're already here so there's no need to—"

"This is completely unacceptable. Apologize to Father right this instant."

"They're just doors. Not my problem if they can't handle someone as BIG as me!"

"We could go to that new restaurant that just opened up!"

"…Isn't that the new Hooters?"

"_Ugh_ I can't believe you!"

"Taking your daughter there? Hah, so uncool."

"No, no, that's not the one I meant—"

_SMACK_.

A chorus of "Ow!" and "What did I do!" filled the office as the Grim Reaper simply stood in front of them, his oversized gloved hand still raised. Though it had happened within the span of a second, the leader of Shibusen had smacked all eight individuals on top of their heads. Despite the questionably silly mask that the Grim Reaper always wore, they could feel the stern expression that the face behind it was making.

"Now that I have your attention," he said, his voice bearing a tone more of jest than reprimand, "shall I tell you all about your next mission?"

"Yes," they replied in unison, still wincing from the head chop.

"Wonderful!" Once again the voice carried a playful tone as a screen lowered behind him. "The information you retrieved from your last mission has proved very useful. In fact, we may have located one of KiSHIN's secret cells."

At the mention of "KiSHIN," all eyes looked up and every body stood at more attention, even Soul's. KiSHIN—an unholy alliance formed by three of the most wanted and dangerous "evil masterminds" of the world. It was one of the main reasons why Shibusen existed and was considered the "arch nemesis" of the organization.

"As you know," the Grim Reaper continued as charts, data, and maps flickered across the screen, "you are all part SPARTOI, which was recently formed to help us find and combat against them. Though it has been a little slow going, this new information should help get this stubborn ball rolling!"

"So what is it you'd like us to do next?" Maka asked, forgetting all about the earlier episode with her father and now eager to hear what their next mission would be.

"Nothing _too_ difficult," the Grim Reaper said before turning to Spirit. "Spirit?"

"You seven will be working together again for another recon mission," he began. No longer was he the quibbling and questioningly over-protective father, but now the elite agent that he was more known as. In his hands were the files and documents detailing the mission, and as he debriefed them he handed each one their own personal file that would detail them further.

Their target was a KiSHIN cell hidden in the forests somewhere along the northwestern United States and Canadian border. Shibusen had already received reports of suspicious activity involving transportation of large machinery parts along the route, and agents were already on the move to secure a few base locations for the upcoming operation.

"Your mission is to find their compound, figure out what they're trying to build, and inform the agents stationed there. They'll handle the take down." Spirit paused and looked at Black*Star. "Got it? You're just there to get information, _not_ fight. We're still not sure which branch of KiSHIN this cell belongs to."

Black*Star just scowled, arms crossing behind his head. "Another recon mission? Then what's the point for me to be there?"

"I have to agree," Kid added, casting a side glance at the other boy. "We almost failed because of Black*Star's actions—"

"Hey, we did not fail becau—"

"—and it would be far more prudent if he didn't come along at all."

Black*Star was now facing Kid. "At least I wasn't the one who blew a freaking _hole_ in the wall."

Kid only glared at him. "Regrettably, I must admit that it did not help the situation. But it was only because _you_ forced us in a position where it was the only option! Because you alerted the whole compound of our presence, Maka was forced to take another route and we had to try and meet up in a completely different location!"

Liz buried her face in her hands. They had been arguing and going at it since they returned. She knew the two had always had a rocky relationship since the group formed only a month ago, and considering their personalities she was not surprised. But seriously? _Here_? In the Grim Reaper's office? But whenever she looked up to see if the Grim Reaper was about scold either of them—Maka certainly was—all she found was that goofy mask with what she _swore_ was a smile even though it was impossible. That mask did not even have a mouth piece. Just two large circles for eyes and another larger one where the nasal cavity would be. It would have been creepy if she did not think the mask resembled something more like a bowling ball with a beard. That was what she always thought those spiked things at the bottom were before Kid told her it was to represent teeth.

She still thought it was a beard.

Now the two were standing apart, neither of them facing each other. With the two no longer arguing, Spirit cleared his throat and continued.

"Actually, although you all will be heading to the same location and are part of the same mission, you will be split up into different groups."

"Different groups?" Liz repeated with a puzzled look on her face. "Wait, you mean different teams?" _Oh God._

"Due to the nature of this particular mission, we're grouping each of you so that your abilities are specifically utilized, so pay attention."

And so, instead of working with their usual respective partners, the group was divided as the following:

Maka with Liz.

Soul with Kid and Tsubaki.

Black*Star with Patti.

"Your flight leaves Friday at 05:00. That should give you three days to prepare. You are dismissed."

As they left the room, everyone wondered the same thing: who the hell thought pairing Patti with Black*Star was a good idea?

Everyone except Patti, anyway. She was already thinking of what explosives they were going to need.

* * *

><p><strong>Authorward<strong>: As an answer to that last question, don't look at me. Ask the cow. But anyway, I hope this first chapter was at least a little entertaining even if it's more of a "set-up" sort of thing with little action. I know there are still a lot of unanswered questions, such as how exactly the characters are different from their original canon selves and how they're going to work. Hopefully most of that will be cleared up in the next chapter, but things will be explained along the way. It's been a long time since I've written a story, and an even longer time since I've written a fanfic of anything. But I can go ahead and say that I tend to explain things as they happen rather than just throw it all out at once. So just bear with me as I try and get my "writer's footing" again, and any critiques or reviews will be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!


	3. File: 002

_**FILE: 002**_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I own nothing except the weirdness that spawns in Microsoft Word. _

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><p><strong>SPARTOI Living Quarters<strong>

Liz was still wondering how their new team line-up was going to work as the large group shuffled through the doors of their private dorm. Though, "dorm" was probably an understatement. It was more like a high class boarding house mansion. There were two wings: one for their group, and the other for the other half of the SPARTOI team, Team B. They were Team A. If Liz remembered correctly, the Team B members were out on a mission somewhere in Australia. Honestly, she wished she was there instead of having to go out in the middle of nowhere in some Canadian forests.

She watched as Patti laughed at something Black*Star said—probably something stupid like always. As everyone else passed through and headed to either their rooms or somewhere else in the dorm, Liz pulled Tsubaki aside.

"Hey, Tsubaki…do you think they'll be okay?"

"Hm? You mean Black*Star and Patti?" the other girl asked as she looked at the two in question. Patti had started to build a giraffe with Lego's and Black*Star was challenging Soul to some video game. "I think it should be fine."

"Are you serious?" Liz turned to face her fully, eyes widening. "They're like the two most explosive people in this group! You know Patti specializes with explosives," which most would consider wrong on its own, but Liz did not seem to see a problem in that regard, "and I seriously don't want to know how Black*Star would be like around those." She sighed and leaned against the wall behind them. "Seriously, what are they thinking? This is supposed to be a recon mission, right? Kid is already against Black*Star even going along."

As she spoke, her eyes wandered to where her usual partner in question was going down the hallway that led to the small, private library. _Typical_.

But at her words, Tsubaki just gave a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah, Black*Star doesn't do very well on recon missions, but I think he's getting better! Still…I do wonder what they'll be doing. I tried to ask him if his file said anything, but he only said that it was the usual boring stuff." She shrugged. "What about Patti?"

"I read it over, but it only mentioned the usual small discharges to get through the barred vents and stuff," Liz said as she twirled a lock of her hair. "Black*Star is supposed to spot for her while she sets it up and then that's it. But it doesn't really make much sense. Wouldn't it better if it was with you?"

"Mm, maybe, but I'm supposed to be with Soul and Kid helping with the overall surveillance. Oh! That reminds me that I need to look up which weapons and accessories you will need. You're with Maka, right?"

"Yeah. I'm helping with the disguises like usual, except I'll be with her." She frowned. "Honestly, I don't know why I have to come with her. Not that I mind, but doesn't she usually work alone? She seems like she can handle it by herself just fine."

"I'm not sure, but it does seem like it, doesn't it? At least with the missions so far. Even the ones before we all got together."

"I mean, I don't mind working with her. I just don't want to be so involved."

Tsubaki giggled and gave the blond a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

Liz just returned with a wry grin before pushing off the wall. "Want a drink? I make a mean tropical fruit smoothie."

* * *

><p><strong>SPARTOI Computer Lab<strong>

"So….what am I doing again?"

Soul sighed as he continued to unravel the bundle of cords in his hands. "Just take that long, black cable and figure out a way to make it reach the other side of the room. Should be long enough. And make sure it's not in the way."

Black*Star just frowned as he stared at the cable in his hand and turned around to see where it was supposed to go. "Dude, I thought we were going to do something _cool_. Not mess around with cables."

"Hey, this is _not_ uncool. There's an art to wiring computers and electronics."

"Weird art," Black*Star only muttered as he tried to crawl under a desk and loop the cable through one of the various holes made especially for them. "So what is all this for anyway?"

"For the new computer system I specially ordered," Soul said a little too happily as he unraveled the last cord and set them aside for later. "Faster processing speed, LED monitors, better audio and graphics cards—"

"Soul," Black*Star looked over the desk, a dry expression on his face, "I have _no _idea what you're talking about, and you sound like some geek."

"Shut up."

"Just sayin'."

"Try saying that once you try playing your games on 'em."

To that Black*Star grinned. _Now_ there was something he could get into. The image of him shooting down virtual zombies with the best possible visuals _was_ a pretty sweet idea. "Let's just hope your computers will be able to handle _me_."

"So long you don't slam your fist into the screen again."

"Hey, that was—"

"_Sooooooooooul! Black*Staaaaaaaaaaaaar!_"

Soul slammed the top of his head against the bottom of the desk while Black*Star fell backwards in surprise when Patti suddenly shouted into the room.

"Jesus—Patti! What the hell, man!" Soul hissed as he rubbed his head and leaned out to look at the girl just waving cheerfully at them.

"Have either of you see my coloring boooook?"

The two simply stared. "Your _coloring_ book?" Soul repeated.

"Yeah! You know! The one with giraffes!"

"They _all_ have giraffes in them," Black*Star said, exchanging glances with Soul.

By now, the two boys had gotten used to Patti's eccentric behavior. Black*Star found it more amusing than the others and the two usually hit it off well. But there were times, like now, when even he thought it weird.

"It's not here, anyway." Soul was now standing. "Did you try the living room?"

"Yep! Checked under the seat cushions and didn't find anything."

"Your room?"

"All of them!"

At that, the two boys froze.

"Wait…you went through _everyone_'s room?" Black*Star stammered.

Patti tilted her head. Why was his voice higher than usual? "Yeah. Couldn't find it."

"Shit—Patti you—just don't tell anyone what was in there!" they both shouted as they suddenly scrambled and ran out the door.

The girl just watched wide-eyed as they tore down the hallway. "Huh…I wonder what got into them. Oh well!"

And with a cheerful skip and a hop, she went down another hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>SPARTOI Private Library<strong>

As Kid pulled out one of the few novels he had yet to read, the frown that had formed since they left the Grim Reaper's office finally disappeared into something more of resignation. As much as he opposed and was disgusted by the thought, it was clear that he would have to put up with Black*Star.

_But why would Father pair him up with Patti?_ he thought, a now more perplexed expression spreading across his face. Although he had found the Thompson sisters earlier that year, Kid had gotten to know and understood the two girls well enough. Though Patti was the harder to understand, he knew well enough that combining the loudest and technically the most explosive of the team was far from logical.

_I'll need to go over the files again later_, he sighed as he flipped through the pages, eyes already flying over the words. _But our mission aside, what could KiSHIN be up to? Large machine parts…could this be some kind of factory? And if it is, what could they be building?_ The unanswered question was an unsettling thought. Were they really that far behind? How many more of such secret bases lay hidden from them?

As these questions and more continued to fill his mind, Kid leaned against the bookshelf, the book he had picked out now long forgotten. Was it enough? Couldn't they do more? Couldn't _he _do more? Absentmindedly his hand reached up to brush his left bangs where the odd half stripes were as he thought of his team.

Despite whatever complaints he may have on certain members, he did have great respect for them. In fact he was actually quite glad that he could work with them. Working with Soul and Tsubaki would be a change, but he could handle it. What kind of agent would he be if he could not work with different partners? Perhaps that was the type of exercise his father was trying to give them.

The mission had confused him before, but now he tried to cool his mind and work through it again. This time without the confusion and doubt. He knew that he would be a valuable asset in running the surveillance and helping Maka and Liz through the compound. While Soul would do the tech work and Tsubaki would figure out the best locations to plant the cameras, he would be in charge of marking out the path along with alternative routes in the case things change. He would also need to choose the appropriate spots for Patti to plant the explosives and where Black*Star would have to wait and take out certain key lookouts and guards. Black*Star would also be waiting to help Maka and Liz out once they were finished. Being the fastest as well as the strongest of the group, it made sense.

Kid reopened his eyes. It all made sense after finally thinking it through. This was certainly the type of mission Team A of the SPARTOI group could pull off. If they are successful, they would be able to retrieve the important information that would hopefully answer all those bothersome questions.

He stood there in silence until a loud, high voice broke the otherwise peaceful silence and threw all of his previous thoughts out the proverbial window.

"_Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid!_"

An eyebrow twitching, Kid turned and stared hard at the girl waving her arms happily by the doors. "Patti, I've told you several times that you can just _knock—_"

"Do you know where my coloring book is?"

_You are almost sixteen years old. Why do you need a coloring book?_ These were, of course, useless thoughts, and he was by now used to Patti's rather underaged activities. "Have you checked your room?" Even though he knew the answer to this.

"Yeah, but I couldn't find it," Patti answered with a slight pout as she hooked her hands behind her back.

"Liz's room?"

"Nope!"

"And it's not in my room."

"I even checked under your bed!"

Kid stared. "You went through—"

His only issue with Patti going through his room was not whatever had freaked out Soul and Black*Star. No, it was the inevitable mess that would await him later. Just the thought made him want to run to his room and fix everything. Possibly Liz's and Patti's as well. Patti _normally_ respected his odd quirks, but she also enjoyed tormenting him with her sister. However, cleaning his room would have to wait until Patti found her coloring book. Otherwise, she would make a mess of things in her search, and it would save him both time and headache if he just went ahead and helped her.

"Can't Liz help you?" he pleaded in a last attempt to hasten the clean up.

"She's making smoothies with Tsubaki."

Rubbing his temple, Kid let out a frustrated sigh before looking back at the girl. She was just smiling and looking like a child about to go to the candy store. Sometimes he wondered if she actually _planned_ her random acts of absurdity just to drive him insane.

"All right, where did you last see it?"

"Ummm." Patti looked up thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "I think the game room?"

"Then we will start there."

And without another word, he brushed past her and quickly walked back toward the living room, Patti giggling and skipping behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>SPARTOI Kitchen<strong>

"…and then you add the pineapples last. I find that makes the flavor _really_ stand out," Liz said as she dumped the diced pineapple into the blender before letting it do its thing.

"Wow, I had no idea that putting in the ingredients in a certain way could change it that much," Tsubaki marveled as she watched.

"I didn't either. Dumb luck really," Liz laughed before she noticed a pair of pigtails flash by. "Oh, Maka! Want one? I made plenty."

Hearing her name, the girl stepped back and poked her head through the entranceway. "What are you making? A smoothie?"

"Tropical fruit ones."

"Sure," Maka grinned as she walked in. She set down the notebook and files she had in her hand on the nearby table before approaching the two older girls.

"Already hard at work, huh?" Liz commented as she glanced over at papers.

"We only have a week, and I wanted to look over everything as soon as possible. We'll also have to go over our plan later, Liz," Maka added as she pulled her own glass from the nearby cabinet.

Liz groaned. "Can't we wait until like, I don't know, Wednesday? Or at least not think about the mission for a while?"

Maka started to say something, but seeing Liz's expression and giving it some thought, she said in stead, "Well…I guess you're right. We just got back so we should have a little break every once in a while."

"_Thank_ you," Liz sighed as she poured them a glass of the smoothie. "Seriously, I'll be hearing enough of it from Kid. And I promise I'll meet with you to talk about it later. Just. Not now. Maybe not even tomorrow."

Tsubaki laughed as she took a sip of the smoothie, enjoying the burst of flavor. Liz had been right—it was a lot more distinctive than normal ones. "So, what would you like to do instead?"

"Party like there's no tomorrow!"

Maka giggled as she took her own sip, also appreciating the drink's flavor. "I guess one couldn't hurt. When was the last time we had one?"

"Um, I think probably after the first week we all met," Tsubaki answered after a thoughtful pause.

"Oh man," Liz laughed, "that was _great_. I swear Black*Star got drunk off of soda."

Tsubaki could only give a light, almost nervous laugh at the memory. "I think he was just excited."

"It's still hard to believe it's already been over a month, though," Maka added with a thoughtful look on her own.

Ever the one to go down memory lane, Liz leaned against the counter and sighed. "Yeah…"

* * *

><p><strong>The Grim Reaper's Office, approx. 1 ½ months ago<strong>

"Hello, hello, everyone!" the oddly dressed man exclaimed with his arms spread wide. "It's so good to see your youthful faces together!"

Crammed into his office were fourteen teenagers, each one holding similar expressions of confusion as they glanced at one another. While they had all shared the same class together and were familiar with one another, missions had prevented them from really socializing with one another.

"As you know," the Grim Reaper continued, "Shibusen has been fighting against KiSHIN for quite some time now, and the agency helps to train young special agents like yourselves to help fight against its evils. But now it looks like KiSHIN has finally decided to make its move, and we unfortunately don't have enough of our current elite agents to send out for certain missions."

"That's where all of you come in," Elite Special Agent Spirit said as he picked up where his boss left off. "All of you proven extraordinary performance on your missions. Of course, not as great as my Maka," he added, giving the girl that doting father look that made her want to cringe and pretend he never existed. "So we have decided to create a special group of young, elite agents for these specific special tasks: SPARTOI. There will be two main teams."

"Team A," the Grim Reaper now continued, "will be comprised of Maka, Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kid, and the Thompson sisters. Team B will have Kilik, the Pot twins, Kim, Jacqueline, Ox, and Harvar. Living accommodations have been made for all of you, as well as other monetary compensations."

There was a moment of silence before there was a collective "_Huh!_" from the group. Even Kid had been surprised since his father had not told him of this plan.

"Wait a minute," Kilik started, "so we're _all_ part of some elite special agent group?"

"Bingo!" the Grim Reaper said as he gave them all the peace sign.

"But—we've only barely interacted with each other and we've never been on a mission together," Liz added. "How do you know we'll even be able to _work_ together?"

"I'm sure you kids will figure it out," the Grim Reaper just happily replied, which made them all feel even more uneasy. While it was true that no one particularly disliked one another—

"Do I seriously have to work with _that_ weirdo!" Kim exclaimed a she pointed at Ox. The boy in question looked absolutely _thrilled_ at the prospect of working with the girl.

—_much_, being on friendly terms and being able to work with someone on a professional and usually life threatening mission was a different matter all together.

"Ah ha ha!" Black*Star laughed. "I hope you guys can keep up with a big guy like _me_! I'll be the one who will surpass _God_!"

"Surpass God?" Kid only repeated with a slight arch of the brow. "I'm surprised you surpassed elementary school."

As the room suddenly clamored with the teenagers' voices of confusion, protest, and some thoughtful acceptance, Spirit carefully leaned over to the Grim Reaper.

"…Do you really think this is a good idea?"

The agent had no idea what the Grim Reaper's expression was due to the mask, but for some uncanny reason he had a feeling it was probably nonchalant and in fact amused.

"Don't worry, Spirit," the Grim Reaper said in his usual jovial tone, which only proved Spirit earlier suspicions. "It'll work out just fine."

* * *

><p><strong>SPARTOI Kitchen, present<strong>

"…Yeah, it's pretty amazing," Liz said, still marveling at how they managed to get through it all with that kind of start.

"Well, once everything settled down and we got to know one another, you would think we had always been friends," Tsubaki said with a smile. "I'm actually rather glad we got to team up together like this. Usually it was just Black*Star and I going out on the missions, and we never really had a chance to meet and talk much in class."

"I knew Black*Star since childhood, so I already knew plenty," Maka sighed. "But I agree. It's nice being able to just hang out like this."

"Whoa, whoa," Liz interrupted. "You knew Black*Star since _childhood_? I am so sorry."

"Haha, it's okay," Maka just laughed. "I was pretty surprised to see him here, too."

"I know I would be," Liz laughed. "Anyway, let's ask the others if they want to go out—"

She was cut short when she heard a sudden _crash _followed by running footsteps. She was just about to walk outside when a gasping and frazzled Kid suddenly ran into the kitchen.

"Liz, will you _please_ do something about your sister!"

* * *

><p><strong>Authorward:<strong> If one were to ask me what this chapter was about…I could only hold up my hands in the air and admit that I am not really sure. It definitely sounds more slice of life and less secret agent-y, huh? But it does lay out a bit of the backstory as well as give a hint at how the characters have changed. I tried to spread the spotlight around evenly, though I think Liz somehow got a lot more of it and Maka didn't get as much screentime. This should change in the next chapter or so. Also, if the writing style and format looks familiar, that would be because I'm following another author's style. If you can guess whose it is, or at least the series, then you'll get a prize! Oh, and, uh. I am only used to writing Liz and Kid, so if the others sound…off, I sincerely apologize.

In terms of updates, these three chapters are the only ones I've written so far and it took a while. Not sure how often I'll be able to update with school and all, but reviews will definitely help give me motivation! And I'm not fishing here, either, I really mean it.


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